When Milkman is talking to Mr. Solomon at his store, he notices hostility being directed towards him. As he asks about getting a place to stay or fixing his car, he gets a sense of having "struck a wrong note" while speaking and turns heads when he says he may have to buy a new car. The narrator momentarily breaks away from Milkman's point of view to tell the reader what the perspective of the men in the shop is. They see Milkman as a man spoiled with wealth, a man who shares their skin color but has the heart of a white man, and a man whose own presence demeans their existence. The line "His manner, his clothes were reminders
that they had no crops of their own and no land to speak of
either" illustrates their feelings towards Milkman well. These negative feelings set the stage for the fight between Saul and Milkman.
Prior to the fight Milkman had been thinking about how friendly the blacks he'd encountered in the South were. During the hunt Milkman's thoughts turn back to this subject before he's assaulted by Guitar. In comparison to the people he'd met elsewhere, the ones in Shalimar were "savages." However the extent of Milkman's interactions in the rest of Virginia were brief ones that lacked substance--giving money to people for goods or services, and then being off on his way without expecting to see them again. Milkman does doubt whether these people were friendly, or if they "were just curious and amused," but he then notes that "he hadn't stayed in any place long enough to find out." In a way this reflects Milkman's behavior towards Hagar and other people in his life. His relationship with Hagar is broken off when he thinks she wants to marry him, and his relationships with other women end when sex isn't the only thing they want anymore. Lena accuses Milkman of never asking how she and Corinthians were doing when they taken care of him as a baby. It seems like Milkman's only close, positive, and genuine relationship is with Guitar and that starts to change when he reprimands Milkman for not being "serious." One of the reasons the men in Solomon's store resent Milkman is for not telling his name or asking what theirs were. Considering Milkman's attitude and behavior towards the people in his hometown and those in Virginia, he is unaware of what other's needs are and avoids recognizing that, preferring transactions that don't mean anything.
Milkman starts recognizing his problem after denouncing the residents of Shalimar. He thinks, "Apparently he thought he deserved only to be loved—
from a distance, though—and given what he wanted. And in
return he would…what? Pleasant? Generous? Maybe all he
was really saying was: I am not responsible for your pain;
share your happiness with me but not your unhappiness." This observation correlates with how Milkman's interacted with Hagar, his sisters, and in a very loose sense the people he's met in Virginia. He expects positive things but doesn't expect himself to give anything too substantial in return.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Thoughts on Antoinette
Obviously there's a lot of unpleasant things happening in Wide Sargasso Sea. The main character, Antoinette, has had a poor family life with a distant mother and no father. This is only the surface of the situation, since what Antoinette has of a family is one that is shunned for its past and present. Her father was a wealthy slave-owner who is reviled for his drinking and adultery, as suggested by the "smooth smiling people" Antoinette hears gossiping as a child (25-26). The awful person that Mr. Cosway was is confirmed by his illegitimate son Daniel, who resents him for being a cruel slave-owner who ignored his children and bought and sold people "like cattle." (111) Now that Mr. Cosway is dead and the Emancipation Act has been enacted, Antoinette's family has become destitute and their change in social status has alienated them from whatever white upper-class they were once part of. Antoinette's mother is considered to be mad, which invites further suspicion from about everyone around. To sum it up, Antoinette's family is hated for her father and their role in slavery, and how they are presently poor and white. Their situation alienates them from the black and white people around them.
Antoinette experiences a lot of this ill will as a child through both actively experiencing it (hearing gossip, being threatened or called names) and just being shunned away in her home (her mother is aware that they are hated). While this unpleasant situation pervades her childhood, Antoinette has a poor relationship with her mother. Antoinette remembers her mother saying "Let me alone" when she tries to interact with her (18). The excerpt "I started to fan her, but she turned her head away. She might rest if I left her alone, she said," is particularly revealing. The closest relationship Antoinette has is with Christophine, her mother's "wedding present" from her father (19). She is a black woman unrelated to Antoinette, but cares for her when her own mother is unable. Antoinette cares a lot about Christophine, as she interacts with her often in adulthood, and as a young child she was too afraid to ask her mother about Christophine leaving (20). As Antoinette grows up, her mother passes away and she tries to not think about her.
I think Antoinette's difficult relationship with Rochester has a few allusions to her relationship with her mother. Again Antoinette is being ignored and interacting little with someone she's supposed to be close to. The question she asks Rochester--"Then why do you never come near me? Or kiss me, or talk to me,"--could also be asked of her mother.
Antoinette experiences a lot of this ill will as a child through both actively experiencing it (hearing gossip, being threatened or called names) and just being shunned away in her home (her mother is aware that they are hated). While this unpleasant situation pervades her childhood, Antoinette has a poor relationship with her mother. Antoinette remembers her mother saying "Let me alone" when she tries to interact with her (18). The excerpt "I started to fan her, but she turned her head away. She might rest if I left her alone, she said," is particularly revealing. The closest relationship Antoinette has is with Christophine, her mother's "wedding present" from her father (19). She is a black woman unrelated to Antoinette, but cares for her when her own mother is unable. Antoinette cares a lot about Christophine, as she interacts with her often in adulthood, and as a young child she was too afraid to ask her mother about Christophine leaving (20). As Antoinette grows up, her mother passes away and she tries to not think about her.
I think Antoinette's difficult relationship with Rochester has a few allusions to her relationship with her mother. Again Antoinette is being ignored and interacting little with someone she's supposed to be close to. The question she asks Rochester--"Then why do you never come near me? Or kiss me, or talk to me,"--could also be asked of her mother.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Resigned
In the final pages of The Stranger I noticed that Meursault takes a practical approach to dealing with his impending death. He laments not having read further into the specifics of execution and fantasizes about executions that give the victim a slim chance to survive. Meursault thinks about these external factors instead of what he could have done himself--despite the desperation he's displaying through his fantasies he doesn't regret his actions or wonder how he could have acted differently. That is, until his outburst when the prison chaplain visits his cell. Meursault says "I had lived my life one way and I could just as well have lived it another" but then denounces anything that he could have done and anything he had done as meaning nothing. Every event in his life was leading to the same end, and so does every event in everyone else's lives. To Meursault, everything anyone does eventually culminates in death and there's nothing that can be done to change the fact. This outlook on life makes me wonder about Meursault's character...
Trying to characterize Meursault in my own words brings to mind the lyrics of a song titled "Resigned" by the band Blur. In general I feel like the word itself, resigned, describes Meursault's character well. In applying it to him I see the word as meaning submissive acceptance, which can be seen, for example, in Meursault's lack of moral assertion when he interacts with Raymond.
Anyways, the opening lyrics are the lines;
"I think too much
on things I want too much
It makes me hateful
and I say stupid things"
These lyrics don't really apply to Meursault as we see him in the novel, but at one point Meursault does say "as a student I'd had plenty of ambition...but, when I had to drop my studies, I very soon realized all that was pretty futile." This line establishes that Meursault used to think differently from the pessimistic outlook we see in the novel. Did Meursault realize the sentiment expressed in the excerpted song lyrics, and did that lead him to losing his ambition? Does Meursault only speak when he needs to so he can avoid being "hateful" and saying "stupid things?" Song lyrics can be interpreted in any number of ways, so my interpretation can't truly be correct or make complete sense, but those were some of the thoughts I had.
Another part of the lyrics are the lines;
"I wish the sun
could just keep me warm
and I'm resigned to that"
The way I interpret these lyrics is that having the simple, basic necessities of life (the sun keeping one warm) is all that one wants (wishes) in life and they're accepting (resigned) of that fact. They're not aspiring for anything higher--they just want the sun to keep them warm. Meursault appears to be comfortable with his life and as previously stated he doesn't have much ambition. Considering his thoughts and actions in the novel I feel Meursault is rather resigned to what happens in his life, a couple examples being when he says to Marie that a marriage wouldn't really matter and when he doesn't seem outwardly emotional about his mother's death. He is also resigned to his status of working in an office, which is seen when he shows indifference to "a change of life" in Paris. He doesn't aspire for anything higher and is okay with that fact, and even seems to get irritated when people question why he doesn't think differently.
A final connection I'd like to make concerns the final verses of the song, which are; "I'll forget to breathe someday; I've never stopped to think why." Before his execution, Meursault thinks to himself, "I couldn't imagine that this sound which had been with me for so long would ever stop." (112) Both Meursault and the song lyrics express a similar idea on death--that of one not having ever thought about death actually occurring to one's self.
At the very end of the novel Meursault realizes that he'd "been happy" and "was happy again." Any desire or hope for his execution to fail has left him. Instead he says "I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they should greet me with cries of hate." (123) At this point Meursault is fully resigned to what will happen to him, and the novel ends.
Trying to characterize Meursault in my own words brings to mind the lyrics of a song titled "Resigned" by the band Blur. In general I feel like the word itself, resigned, describes Meursault's character well. In applying it to him I see the word as meaning submissive acceptance, which can be seen, for example, in Meursault's lack of moral assertion when he interacts with Raymond.
Anyways, the opening lyrics are the lines;
"I think too much
on things I want too much
It makes me hateful
and I say stupid things"
These lyrics don't really apply to Meursault as we see him in the novel, but at one point Meursault does say "as a student I'd had plenty of ambition...but, when I had to drop my studies, I very soon realized all that was pretty futile." This line establishes that Meursault used to think differently from the pessimistic outlook we see in the novel. Did Meursault realize the sentiment expressed in the excerpted song lyrics, and did that lead him to losing his ambition? Does Meursault only speak when he needs to so he can avoid being "hateful" and saying "stupid things?" Song lyrics can be interpreted in any number of ways, so my interpretation can't truly be correct or make complete sense, but those were some of the thoughts I had.
Another part of the lyrics are the lines;
"I wish the sun
could just keep me warm
and I'm resigned to that"
The way I interpret these lyrics is that having the simple, basic necessities of life (the sun keeping one warm) is all that one wants (wishes) in life and they're accepting (resigned) of that fact. They're not aspiring for anything higher--they just want the sun to keep them warm. Meursault appears to be comfortable with his life and as previously stated he doesn't have much ambition. Considering his thoughts and actions in the novel I feel Meursault is rather resigned to what happens in his life, a couple examples being when he says to Marie that a marriage wouldn't really matter and when he doesn't seem outwardly emotional about his mother's death. He is also resigned to his status of working in an office, which is seen when he shows indifference to "a change of life" in Paris. He doesn't aspire for anything higher and is okay with that fact, and even seems to get irritated when people question why he doesn't think differently.
A final connection I'd like to make concerns the final verses of the song, which are; "I'll forget to breathe someday; I've never stopped to think why." Before his execution, Meursault thinks to himself, "I couldn't imagine that this sound which had been with me for so long would ever stop." (112) Both Meursault and the song lyrics express a similar idea on death--that of one not having ever thought about death actually occurring to one's self.
At the very end of the novel Meursault realizes that he'd "been happy" and "was happy again." Any desire or hope for his execution to fail has left him. Instead he says "I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they should greet me with cries of hate." (123) At this point Meursault is fully resigned to what will happen to him, and the novel ends.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Gregor and Work
While the story is not completely finished, so far I've enjoyed the juxtaposition of reality with the surreal in The Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa has become a giant insect but his greatest priority is still getting to work. He initially questions "What has happened to me?" but then immediately turns his thoughts to his job and how tiring it is. Not before long, he realizes that he's late for his train to work, and seems more shocked about this than inexplicably being an insect. The sentence "The next train went at seven; to catch that he would have to make frantic haste and his samples weren't even packed up yet" demonstrates this. (66)
Gregor attempts to get out of bed but finds himself unable to because of his unfamiliar body. The inability to functionally move should certainly alert him to something being wrong, yet Gregor still resolves to be on his way and eventually rocks himself out of bed. Eventually the Samsa family learns of his predicament with shock and sadness (but little horror). Despite their reactions Gregor begins a long speech directed towards the chief clerk concerning his job, defending himself from earlier accusations that he wasn't a good worker. The people around Gregor can't even understand him and are upset at his appearance, which should be another clue that something is amiss, but Gregor acts as he would if he weren't transformed.
I interpreted Gregor's preoccupation with his work as a sort of commentary on how people so absorbed in their obligations forget or are unable to further their own individuality. Gregor's mother describes to the chief clerk how "he never goes out in the evenings" and "the only relaxation he gets is doing his fret-work." (70) These insights and the fact of Gregor's obliviousness to the peculiarity of his situation suggest an unhealthy state of mind. He's so consumed by his job that even at home he doesn't go "out in the evenings" and doesn't realize he's become an insect. However, Gregor's thoughts reveal that he isn't really that happy with his job and only works there out of duty for his family. Even without a positive attitude towards it, he continues to focus on work heavily and since he's working for his family and not himself that even further diminishes Gregor's individuality.
These sorts of ideas are what struck me when I read the first few pages of the story. As an ending thought, Gregor's transformation is something that makes you wonder why or how it happened, but the answer will never be given. His attitude towards it only heightens the surreality.
Gregor attempts to get out of bed but finds himself unable to because of his unfamiliar body. The inability to functionally move should certainly alert him to something being wrong, yet Gregor still resolves to be on his way and eventually rocks himself out of bed. Eventually the Samsa family learns of his predicament with shock and sadness (but little horror). Despite their reactions Gregor begins a long speech directed towards the chief clerk concerning his job, defending himself from earlier accusations that he wasn't a good worker. The people around Gregor can't even understand him and are upset at his appearance, which should be another clue that something is amiss, but Gregor acts as he would if he weren't transformed.
I interpreted Gregor's preoccupation with his work as a sort of commentary on how people so absorbed in their obligations forget or are unable to further their own individuality. Gregor's mother describes to the chief clerk how "he never goes out in the evenings" and "the only relaxation he gets is doing his fret-work." (70) These insights and the fact of Gregor's obliviousness to the peculiarity of his situation suggest an unhealthy state of mind. He's so consumed by his job that even at home he doesn't go "out in the evenings" and doesn't realize he's become an insect. However, Gregor's thoughts reveal that he isn't really that happy with his job and only works there out of duty for his family. Even without a positive attitude towards it, he continues to focus on work heavily and since he's working for his family and not himself that even further diminishes Gregor's individuality.
These sorts of ideas are what struck me when I read the first few pages of the story. As an ending thought, Gregor's transformation is something that makes you wonder why or how it happened, but the answer will never be given. His attitude towards it only heightens the surreality.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Rambling on Robert Cohn
It's obvious that Robert Cohn doesn't fit in with the likes of Bill, Mike, Brett, and Jake. Discussions in class enlightened me about the reason for why--Cohn doesn't participate in the same ironical manner that his "friends" do. He takes things too seriously, which we see when someone like Jake tells him to "go to hell" and Robert says that he take that back. (47) It's suggested that Robert gets his perception of the world from literature when Jake describes a conversation where Robert says he'd like to South America since he's apparently tired of Paris; "He got the first idea out of a book, and I suppose the second came out of a book too." (20) Another way to describe Cohn's behavior is that his ideals belong to the pre-war era. What happens in a book doesn't always exactly translate to real life, and no longer do the ideals of pre-war society in the modern times the novel takes place in. Robert Cohn's actions, based on the ideals of worlds that don't exist, provoke the ire of Jake and the ironic crowd he hangs around. This comes to a head during Jake and the gang's time in Spain, where about everyone on the trip expresses scorn towards Robert. This is exemplified when Mike gets drunk and says to Cohn "Don't you know you're not wanted?" (146)
If Robert Cohn isn't wanted, then why is hanging out with these people? The answer is that the vacation in Spain was originally suggested by Robert Cohn himself as a fishing trip, of which he asked Jake if he'd like to come. (87) Jake invited Bill along and then Brett and Mike asked if they could come as well, which Jake agreed to. Brett's involvement with Robert is another reason for him staying with these people, but her dumping and him and his inability to fit in with her ways makes this element a reason for him to leave. What still remains is Robert's supposed friendship with Jake.
Despite being friends, Jake shows a lot of animosity towards Robert Cohn. His narration of Cohn's life in the opening pages of the book downplay Cohn's achievements with a mocking air, adding details like "I never met any one of his class who remembered him." (1) An explanation for Jake's behavior is that he's putting down Robert's masculinity (boxing) to keep up his own, since Jake's war injury has created profound insecurity and shame for him. He can never completely fit in with the people around him (as he most intensely experiences with Brett) but Robert Cohn doesn't fit in his surroundings either...could this be part of why Jake is friends with him in the beginning? Or is this similarity between them another reason for Jake to resent Cohn?
Jake says "You know I do know how he feels. He can't believe it didn't mean anything," when he and Brett are discussing Cohn's behavior during the fiesta. (185) Jake is referring to Cohn's brief relationship with Brett and his heartbreak over her going on to another man, a trend that Jake is already well accustomed to. Brett says Jake wouldn't behave as poorly, to which he responds "I'd be as big an ass as Cohn." Jake has established that he and Cohn have some similarities, but suggests that if he weren't different from him and everybody else because of his injury he would be even more like Cohn. Could one of Robert Cohn's roles in the novel be an idea of what Jake could have been like if he weren't injured? Cohn's ideals relate to that of before the war, which was when Jake hadn't had his injury. He's also had a romantic experience with Brett, which angers Jake but is something he can relate to. At an earlier period in time maybe Jake would have felt more openly upset over Brett's actions, maybe in the way Cohn did, but in the present this is no longer the case.
If Robert Cohn isn't wanted, then why is hanging out with these people? The answer is that the vacation in Spain was originally suggested by Robert Cohn himself as a fishing trip, of which he asked Jake if he'd like to come. (87) Jake invited Bill along and then Brett and Mike asked if they could come as well, which Jake agreed to. Brett's involvement with Robert is another reason for him staying with these people, but her dumping and him and his inability to fit in with her ways makes this element a reason for him to leave. What still remains is Robert's supposed friendship with Jake.
Despite being friends, Jake shows a lot of animosity towards Robert Cohn. His narration of Cohn's life in the opening pages of the book downplay Cohn's achievements with a mocking air, adding details like "I never met any one of his class who remembered him." (1) An explanation for Jake's behavior is that he's putting down Robert's masculinity (boxing) to keep up his own, since Jake's war injury has created profound insecurity and shame for him. He can never completely fit in with the people around him (as he most intensely experiences with Brett) but Robert Cohn doesn't fit in his surroundings either...could this be part of why Jake is friends with him in the beginning? Or is this similarity between them another reason for Jake to resent Cohn?
Jake says "You know I do know how he feels. He can't believe it didn't mean anything," when he and Brett are discussing Cohn's behavior during the fiesta. (185) Jake is referring to Cohn's brief relationship with Brett and his heartbreak over her going on to another man, a trend that Jake is already well accustomed to. Brett says Jake wouldn't behave as poorly, to which he responds "I'd be as big an ass as Cohn." Jake has established that he and Cohn have some similarities, but suggests that if he weren't different from him and everybody else because of his injury he would be even more like Cohn. Could one of Robert Cohn's roles in the novel be an idea of what Jake could have been like if he weren't injured? Cohn's ideals relate to that of before the war, which was when Jake hadn't had his injury. He's also had a romantic experience with Brett, which angers Jake but is something he can relate to. At an earlier period in time maybe Jake would have felt more openly upset over Brett's actions, maybe in the way Cohn did, but in the present this is no longer the case.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
The End of Mrs. Dalloway
Towards the end of the novel, Clarissa is in the process of hosting her party when she learns from her guests, the Bradshaws, of a man having jumped from a window earlier that day Prior to this Clarissa had been feeling off about her party when it's described "she did think it mattered, her party, and it made her feel quite sick to know that it was all going wrong, all falling flat."(164) After hearing of Dr. Bradshaw's patient, Clarissa goes into an empty room and thinks "what business had the Bradshaws to talk of death at her party?" (179)
The next few pages show that Clarissa is really affected by the death of this stranger, who we know to be Septimus. "Always her body went through it first, when she was told, suddenly, of an accident;" (179)-- "They went on living (she would have to go back; the rooms were still crowded; people kept on coming). They (all day she had been thinking of Bourton, of Peter, of Sally), they would grow old."--Clarissa articulates the otherwise unspoken fact that this young man will stay young forever but life goes on as usual for others. (180) Clarissa and the other people around her will continue to get older but Septimus won't. In the next few sentences she then establishes that "death is defiance" and also an "attempt to communicate." She wonders if Septimus "plunged holding his treasure", which I take to mean if he killed himself while still feeling content with life.
I don't articulate well what they mean but these are a lot of thoughts coming from just a brief mention of suicide. I think Clarissa's focus on Septimus' death stems from her love of life, the reason why she values her parties. "Defiance" of living is so different from how Clarissa approaches the world around her that she tries to imagine what Septimus' thought process (communication, treasure) was that led him to his end. She then has many thoughts about her own life with the topic of death in mind.
Septimus' death being an impetus for Clarissa to examine her mortality was discussed in class, and the language such as that on page 182 fit with this idea well. "He made her feel the beauty; made her feel the fun." (182) The paragraph this line is from suggests to me that Septimus' interruption of Clarissa's focus on personal and relationship-related events makes her realize that life altogether is precious and that she should appreciate what she gets to experience, even if she has regrets and doubts. Her earlier rumination on her party being a failure isn't ever returned to, and the novel ends with Clarissa returning to the party and seeing Peter Walsh. Presumably they can now talk to each other more in depth.
The next few pages show that Clarissa is really affected by the death of this stranger, who we know to be Septimus. "Always her body went through it first, when she was told, suddenly, of an accident;" (179)-- "They went on living (she would have to go back; the rooms were still crowded; people kept on coming). They (all day she had been thinking of Bourton, of Peter, of Sally), they would grow old."--Clarissa articulates the otherwise unspoken fact that this young man will stay young forever but life goes on as usual for others. (180) Clarissa and the other people around her will continue to get older but Septimus won't. In the next few sentences she then establishes that "death is defiance" and also an "attempt to communicate." She wonders if Septimus "plunged holding his treasure", which I take to mean if he killed himself while still feeling content with life.
I don't articulate well what they mean but these are a lot of thoughts coming from just a brief mention of suicide. I think Clarissa's focus on Septimus' death stems from her love of life, the reason why she values her parties. "Defiance" of living is so different from how Clarissa approaches the world around her that she tries to imagine what Septimus' thought process (communication, treasure) was that led him to his end. She then has many thoughts about her own life with the topic of death in mind.
Septimus' death being an impetus for Clarissa to examine her mortality was discussed in class, and the language such as that on page 182 fit with this idea well. "He made her feel the beauty; made her feel the fun." (182) The paragraph this line is from suggests to me that Septimus' interruption of Clarissa's focus on personal and relationship-related events makes her realize that life altogether is precious and that she should appreciate what she gets to experience, even if she has regrets and doubts. Her earlier rumination on her party being a failure isn't ever returned to, and the novel ends with Clarissa returning to the party and seeing Peter Walsh. Presumably they can now talk to each other more in depth.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Observations on Mrs. Dalloway
As established during class, Mrs. Dalloway focuses on the flow of thoughts people have rather than their actions or the "objective reality" that surrounds them. The internal discourses people have in their heads is what defines their character. Judging by what Clarissa Dalloway thinks about in her mind, one may infer that she is concerned with her appearance and the way she appears to others. She considers how she would look "if she could have her life over again," and compares herself to to someone Lady Bexborough, wishing she had been like her. (10) She later describes herself as feeling "suddenly shrivelled, aged, breastless," moments after learning that Lady Bruton has invited her husband to lunch without her. (30) Her thoughts could be exaggerated but they give insight into her self-image, which is what stood out to me during her unexpected reunion with Peter Walsh.
As I interpreted the sequence, Peter and Clarissa have their own self doubts and critical observations of each other. This is what most struck me the first time reading through this part-- that Peter and Clarissa both seem to experience feelings of personal inadequacy or think that the other is being too critical/hurtful. The line "He's very well dressed, thought Clarissa; yet he always criticises me," and the following criticism on page 40 sort of mirrors "Why make him suffer, when she had tortured him so infernally?" on page 41. They both feel hurt by each other, and a little later the excerpts "...a complete life, which she put down by them and said, "This is what I have made of it! This!" And what had she made of it?" along with "And she would think me a failure," on page 42 suggest self doubt coming from Clarissa and Peter respectively. They seemed to be thinking the same things about themselves or about each other.
However, looking through the passage again I noticed that this trend wasn't always the case. Peter thinks Clarissa looks older, Clarissa thinks Peter looks the same. (39) After Peter considers that's he's a failure in the eyes of Clarissa and her family, he recalls his experiences in India and feels pride in having not spent his time as Clarissa has. (42-43) Despite acknowledging that my observations weren't always true, I'd conclude that Clarissa has some worries about what other people (such as Peter) think of her, but these "other people" might also be experiencing the same worries as she does. Maybe this reflects the way our minds work along with how information is conveyed through the thought processes of different characters.
Citation
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. ed. Bonnie Kime Scott. New York: Harcourt. 2005. Print.
As I interpreted the sequence, Peter and Clarissa have their own self doubts and critical observations of each other. This is what most struck me the first time reading through this part-- that Peter and Clarissa both seem to experience feelings of personal inadequacy or think that the other is being too critical/hurtful. The line "He's very well dressed, thought Clarissa; yet he always criticises me," and the following criticism on page 40 sort of mirrors "Why make him suffer, when she had tortured him so infernally?" on page 41. They both feel hurt by each other, and a little later the excerpts "...a complete life, which she put down by them and said, "This is what I have made of it! This!" And what had she made of it?" along with "And she would think me a failure," on page 42 suggest self doubt coming from Clarissa and Peter respectively. They seemed to be thinking the same things about themselves or about each other.
However, looking through the passage again I noticed that this trend wasn't always the case. Peter thinks Clarissa looks older, Clarissa thinks Peter looks the same. (39) After Peter considers that's he's a failure in the eyes of Clarissa and her family, he recalls his experiences in India and feels pride in having not spent his time as Clarissa has. (42-43) Despite acknowledging that my observations weren't always true, I'd conclude that Clarissa has some worries about what other people (such as Peter) think of her, but these "other people" might also be experiencing the same worries as she does. Maybe this reflects the way our minds work along with how information is conveyed through the thought processes of different characters.
Citation
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. ed. Bonnie Kime Scott. New York: Harcourt. 2005. Print.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)